Picky Eaters

I grew up with the idea that you eat everything in front of you- no matter what. Growing up I didn’t like fish! I remember, on multiple occasions, my entire family finishing dinner and me sitting alone and miserable at the dinner table in front of a plate of fish- not to leave the table till it was gone. I remember one instance when my Mom was making a wedding cake and there were tubs of delicious frosting surrounding my pitiful predicament. I thought, in my young mind, “Frosting makes EVERYTHING taste better!” So I stole a glob of freshly wiped white frosting and spread it over my fish, well… I was wrong but I had to eat it anyway!

Since those young years I have learned to try new foods and not to be a picky eater (although I do not prefer sea food). Then I married Ben, who was taught if he didn’t want to eat it he didn’t have to eat it. He has a list of things he ‘Doesn’t like’ merely because he hasn’t had to eat them in his life. This bugged me! And has continued to bother me as our marriage aged, common Ben be FOOD- ADVENTUROUS!! One day as I was hounding on him (a little) he said, “But Brea, you don’t eat sea food!” That stopped me in my tracks, he was right. Did I have any right to ridicule him when I myself had my small picky inkling? NO! That’s the answer- NO! So I made a goal to try it, gag less and be more open to the world of sea food. Maybe I wouldn’t order a meal at a restaurant. Maybe it would take me some time to cook it in my own home- but I would eat it!

This weekend this goal was put to the test! We went to visit some friends visiting from out of town (Danny and Amy Gibson). Their family had cooked some great ethnic food and invited us to stay and taste it. There was lamb curry, purple roots in coconut milk and raw fish. I was really nervous but I hunkered down and I tried everything and it was good. There were some unusual flavors, textures and colors but in the end- it was GOOD!! I ate raw fish and I liked it!!

It just proves that you can step out of your picky food zone and it works!!